Kevin Wilkin has left Wrexham FC in a better place than when he took over... but it wasn't enough to save his job

Wrexham manager Kevin Wilkin has spent much of the season looking dejected

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Was it the straw that broke the camels back? Wrexham’s embarrassing defeat on national TV in a Wembley final to a lower league side spelled the end of Kevin Wilkin’s reign as Dragons boss.

The cups have long masked the disappointment of what has been a dismal season in terms of the league for Wrexham, and Sunday’s defeat to North Ferriby United in Wembley was all the Wrexham Supporters Trust board could take.

Reaching the Trophy final bought Wilkin some respite from the list of detractors on social media websites, but defeat on Sunday – coupled with a mid-table position in the table – has resulted in his departure.

Wrexham had become a good cup team under Wilkin, their record of reaching the Trophy final and third round of the FA Cup speaks for itself.

But a nice day out at Wembley or at Stoke in the Cup is not enough for a club which feels it is punching well below its weight.

Wilkin barked in my direction last week, asking why people felt Wrexham had a divine right to be challenging towards the top of the table, why there was so much expectation for the club to be in and around the top few.

He’s right, just because they are a former League outfit does not mean they simply belong in the Football League. The only way Wrexham are to get back into the League, and that has to be the bare minimum of the Dragons’s aspirations season after season, is by earning that right.

Wilkin may have stated his was a two-year plan after taking over the reins from Andy Morrell little more than a year ago, and he may still believe he is the right man to take the club forward, but the fact of it remains this season has not been good enough.

The level of expectation is not mid-table in the Conference, the fans will not be placated by a run to the final of the FA Trophy and as was evident by the boos that rang out at the end of 90 and 120 minutes, they won’t stand for mediocrity.

People will question whether he had lost the dressing room, others asked if there were ‘bad apples’ in the squad. Either way it is difficult from the outside to truly give an honest answer, but it is clear that something wasn’t quite right at Colliers Park.

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It is a brave decision from the board but with eight games to go in the season it again only serves to highlight the idea something was very wrong behind the scenes.

Letting him go now will also give the board time to sound out a replacement and give him the entire summer to work on plans getting the club at least challenging for the right to be back in the League.

No-one can deny Wilkin’s honesty or endeavour.

Wilkin worked hard, he brought a new work ethic to the club and also had his hands tied in terms of money and budget.

He constantly pointed to the success stories his signings had been – Manny Smith, Louis Moult, Connor Jennings, Blaine Hudson – to name but a few. He was left with a majority of a squad he didn’t necessarily want, and was having to pay for, yet he still needed if he was to be successful.

He had a great eye for a player, and he is right that the club is in a better position now than when he first took over, but that position is not deemed good enough to keep him in the role.